Friends? Please… (challenge)
"Cough for me." Fallowpaw instructed. Tallclaw obeyed, producing an admirable hacking noise. The medicine cat apprentice paused. "You should be okay. Try not to spend too much time outside the camp if you can avoid it."
Tallclaw sighed with relief. "Thank you, Fallowpaw. I was just worried. All too many warriors are getting sick and we haven't a healthy kit in the camp."
"Thank you for coming and having me check. If you have any more problems, you have to ask."
"I will."
"Good."
Tallclaw turned, glancing worriedly at his sister. She was asleep, her breathing shallow. "Fallowpaw?" he asked nervously. "Tell me. Does she still have a chance anymore? Against the greencough?"
Fallowpaw looked at him, annoyed. "Of course she does. What else are we for? We just need to find more catmint, then we'll have an edge."
Catmint. Always more catmint. As if it just came down to that. Tallclaw padded away, thinking. Didn't Pokey's twoleg have a catmint plant? If so, certainly Pokey wouldn't mind if Tallclaw took some to give to Redheart for his patients. He would have to visit him.
The sun fell, and with it came darkness. In the shadows of the moonlight, a golden-brown tom with blue eyes crept out through a small hole in the thornbushes. By the time dawn rose, Tallclaw was back in his den, conversing in hushed whispers with his former kittypet friend.
"Why did you do that? The twolegs will follow your scent back here and be on us before we know what's happening!" Pokey was furious.
"Twolegs can't smell worth a mouse! You know that better than I do." Tallclaw's blue eyes glinted with frustration. "I had to do it Pokey, what else do you want me to do? Featherflight's dying!"
"And now we all will, because of you!" the brown tom hissed back. "I ought to tell Foxstar what's going on but then I'd have to say who I learned it from."
"Well if you still hate me," replied Tallclaw, "then why don't you do it and be done?"
Pokey froze, tail twitching. "Because I love you too much to let you go. You piece of fox-dung. You have to choose. Loyalty to the clan, or resources of the twolegs. Your choice. I know which I'll opt for. I knew that a long time ago." The former kittypet glared at him with those brilliant yellow eyes of his, turned, and stalked off. Tallclaw watched him as he padded over to the patch of reeds and pause, tail drooping. And as the snow began to fall, the wind howled a mournful song to the cruel stars as they faded from sight.